The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-09-10
HOW WOMEN BEGIN TO DRINK.
Startling Figures from Prison Super
intendent.

Startling Figures from a Prison Super
intendent
The following statistics have been
furnished by Mrs. Hall to Godey's
LadyS Book:
Out of an examination of 204 inc
briate women l have found that 1913
began their drinking by the use of
beer, 81 by drinking whisky Gas punch
at first usually. 20 began with WINE,
s with gin, and II could not remember
what beverage was first used. These
young girls, mill and shop girls
largely, began by going to some So
called refreshment saloon with their
friends, and the debutante usually be-
gan by slipping little tonic (made of
hops, sugar and water, charged with
carbonic acid gas and colored with
burnt sugar.; beer soon followed, and
soon rioting, other kinds of intoxicants,
recklessness, and crime; and what was
an innocent, foolish girl yesterday is
to-day branded criminal, and all for
a glass of beer. Alas! how many
ruined lives l have seen!
DCCl was tilSO JIlC DGNbld0t Which,
olIer inebriate women used to entice
the younger ones to drink. A call
upon one of these old sots was the sig
nal for the pitcher of beer to be sent
for, and little coaxing and urging
would result in the first fatal glass be-
ing INDUCED in. The steps were then
easy. Beer is the trap which the
drunkard-maker sets for the feet of the
unwary. And he usually makes sure
of his prey because of it. A glass of
raw whisky would have presented but
slight attraction to those overworked,
half-fed girls, had It been offered them
at first. After that sleeping devil, the
appetite for intoXicants, had been
aroused by beer, it became altogether
a different m after, and at last, in many
cases, chloroform or peppermint oil
was added to the drink of these mad
dened creatures, so furious had the APP
petite become for something stronger.
1t may be of interest to note that out
of the 204 inebriate women, 126 had
been guilty of other crimes, and vet in
but 16 instances did the first commit
ment of a crime antcdate the habit of
drinking,
OF the beverages first used, while in
but 81 cases it began with whisky, in
1877 it had become the favorite bever-
age. Several hopeless drunkards, far
gone toward insanity, had never drank
any other intoXicant than beer.
One hundred and thirty-two were
committed to prison for drunkenness.
Sc for offenses against chastity and pub
lie order, and 16 for crimes against
property. Their ages when last COM
mitted averaged 303 years. Sixty-fve
were between 80 and Il years of age,
40 between 25 and 81 years of age, 81
between 30 and 26 years of age, 80 be-
tween Is and q years of age. The
remainder were over Al years of age.
Many of the older ones could not
tell how many sentences they have re-
ceived. showing the absolute useless
ness of furnishing these poor creatures
while the temptations are left in their
way.
To show the effect upon the children
of inebriate parentage, collected the
following: OF Ill inebriate mothers,
SO of whom had inebriate husbands,
408 children were born. Of these 227
persisted in infancy and early child
hood, and of the survivors many are
doomed evidently to an early death.
In many cases the death of these chill
dren was indirectly due to the in
ebriety of the parents, as cold, depriva-
ton, etc. Ages: Twenty-seven of the
204 women began to drink intoxicants
before they were 10 years of age; IL
between the ages of and Is; IA be-
tween IA and 81; 81 between 20 and
26; SO between 25 and 81; 10 between
80 and Al; 8 between 40 and Al.
Average age, 49, years. More than
one-half had formed habits of intem-
perance before they were q years of
age, and more than one-third at the
giddy age of from Is to 20 inclusive.
One hundred and thirty 1.-TWO began
TO drink socially and with female
friends. i. M. HALL,
superintendent Woman's Reformatory
Prison, Sherborn, Mass.